Fractions

Dropping the sunny mask displayed to its paying guests in winter, the City of Miami last week got down to the unpleasant business of collecting unpaid taxes. It was the duty of Tax Collector J. O. Davis to auction off delinquent lots--"or such part as is necessary"--to satisfy the city's claims. Miami's business recovery was reflected in this year's higher tax rolls ($2,900,000, compared to $2,300,000 last year) and in higher collections (89% as against 85 1/2%). It was also reflected in remarkably eager bidding at the annual tax sales held on the outdoor plaza of the City-County Building.

By law, Tax Collector Davis cannot take more for any property than the amount of unpaid taxes. Thus the bidding is in terms of fractions of the property offered, the fractions decreasing as bidders express willingness to accept less & less of the property for the fixed tax sum sought. Usually the fractions go no smaller than one-eighth or one-sixteenth, but at one day's sales in Miami last week the bidding grew so hot that prices spiraled dizzily downward to thousandths, millionths, billionths. then trillionths, finally quadrillionths. Record was set by a man who paid $115.85 for a certificate representing a claim to 1/100 of 1/100 of 1/1,000,000,000,000,000 (quadrillionth) of a small Miami lot. He nosed out another buyer who got tired after reaching 1/90 of 1/100 of one-quadrillionth.

To the property owner the size of the claim makes little difference, for the real value of the tax certificate is its nuisance value. The buyer cannot claim his one-fourth or one-sixth or one-one-hundredth of one-one-hundredth of one-quadrillionth until the end of two years, during which time the property owner may redeem the certificate for the amount of the back taxes plus 25% interest for the first year, 8% thereafter. Since the certificate is a cloud on the title, most certificates are eventually redeemed. The buyers are usually mortgagees seeking to protect their position or professional buyers looking for a 25% return on a year's investment.

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